Valentines' troubles
by loopylouise123
Summary: Red X comes up with the perfect way to cheer Robin up, and he gets a little something out of it too. Slash. Red x Robin, past Starfire x Robin.


_A new story, a one-shot._

_Yes, I know, I know. I have other stories to update, but this had to be written and I've got too much on my plate at the moment to find time to write the next parts to the other stories... Why did this have to be written you ask? Well, I promised Wynja a Christmas present, but I caught Bronchitis, so here's a Valentines fic instead! Even though Valentines day is gone... Oh well, it's the thought that counts._

_So this is dedicated to Wynja._

_Warnings: Slash. Red x Robin. Also a bit of Starfire x Robin as well. Kissing and touching, mentions of sex between Star and Robin. But it doesn't get much further than that. Sorry to some of you who enjoy our two boys rolling around in hay, so to speak.  
_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, it would not be canceled. _

* * *

What was meant to be a romantic day for him and Starfire, turned out to be a disaster before the day had really begun.

"But why?"

She had looked at him with those beautiful green eyes of hers, which were normally full of happiness, but at that moment they were filled with regret. "I am truly sorry Robin, but we are not meant to be."

"I don't understand."

She sighed. "My kind... my people have certain reactions after, well, coupling." Both she and Robin had flushed at that, both remembering the night before. "It tells us whether we truly belong to the other person and my instincts tell me that we are too different to be truly happy Robin."

"Why didn't you tell me this before..."

"I did not want to put you off and you wanted to wait a while before we slept together, but I had thought that we would be right for each other anyway."

He wanted to argue her point, that whatever her Tamaranian beliefs were telling her that they could be wrong. Yet, he knew if he did, it would be a huge insult to her and it would be like her telling him that he was incapable of having feelings because he was human.

So, instead he settled for, "What now?"

She smiled sadly at him. "It is the day to celebrate love, is it not? So that is what we shall do, separate and remember what we had, perhaps even find someone new to celebrate with."

So here he was, sitting on this rooftop feeling sorry for himself.

Starfire, true to her word, had left with Raven to go to the mall, planning to loose herself in the Valentines' festivities with chocolate, pink cards and 'helping' Raven to appreciate the day for what it was.

Unlike Starfire, he did not have that instinctual knowledge that they didn't belong together and he felt almost cheated, they had finally taken that final step last night and when he had still been basking in the aftereffects, it had been all snatched away from him.

He groaned and flopped onto his back, staring at the darkening sky and ignored the harsh feel of concrete underneath him.

"Hey, what's got you so bummed out kid?"

Startled, Robin sprang up and swiftly faced the intruder, silently cursing himself for being caught unawares. At the sight of said intruder he growled in annoyance. "Red X." He _really_ didn't have the energy nor the patience to deal with him right now.

"Heh, that greeting sounded almost _menacing_. Someone's in a worse mood than usual."

Robin's cheek twitched and he made to grab his staff. "What do you want X?" He then regarded the thief. "Or, better question. What did you steal?"

Red X faked hurt by grabbing his chest where his heart would be. "Really kid, the sun hasn't even set yet and you're accusing me of such things." Then, his tone of voice changed to suggest he was grinning underneath his mask. "Besides, it's Valentines so I haven't stolen anything, yet."

Robin was really beginning to hate this day. In annoyance he pulled out his staff and extended it fully. "Here's the deal thief. If you come quietly I'll let you have a free box of chocolates they're giving out near the police station. If you don't then you're not going to like fighting me with the mood I'm in." He decided it was only fair to give the criminal ample warning before he took out his frustration on the thief.

Red X tilted his head to one side. "You really are in a shitty mood aren't you? Maybe I should come back later when your feathers aren't as ruffled." He took a step back as if going through his consideration and Robin tensed, getting ready to pursue. "Though I kinda like the idea of those chocolates kid. Are they the same ones you got your alien girlfriend?"

The hero gritted his teeth and clenched his hands around his staff tightly, he imagined his hands around the thief's neck instead. "None of your business."

Red chuckled. "I take it she didn't appreciate the _free_ box of chocolates you picked up for her then."

"I said it's _none of your business_."

The thief paused for a moment and stared at the other teen for a moment or two, slowly taking in his expression and remembering the state he first found the kid in. Then, to Robin's surprise he started to laugh. "Oh no – kid, don't tell me. She broke up with you didn't she?!"

Robin flushed an angry red.

"She _did_! This is priceless!" He continued to laugh and Robin's temper escalated. "Was it because of the crappy chocolates you gave her?" X managed to breath out.

Unable to take anymore verbal abuse from a no good thief, Robin charged forward with his staff, aiming for a good swing round the head. Unsurprisingly, the other teen managed to dodge the blow with a final bark of laughter and then jumped away onto a higher ledge the roof offered, out of reach from Robin, but not from his staff if the hero chose it.

"I think I'll come back later kid, with the pissy mood you're in it would be a death wish fighting you now."

"X- !" But the thief had disappeared with a push of a button, turning invisible before Robin could stop him. Looking around and straining his hearing, Robin pinpointed that X was running across the ledge away from him, probably planning on using the fire escape on the opposite side of the building. Robin charged forward and grabbed a smoke bomb out from his belt, hoping to blind X before he could get away. However, just as Robin slipped the bomb out from his belt he found himself having to dodge a sticky X thrown his way. The goo caught the edge of his cape and he was flung back painfully to the ground.

"See ya kid!" Red called merrily back as Robin furiously hacked away at the goo with a bird-a-rang.

Knowing he had already lost the chase, Robin slowed his cutting to a more sedate pace, hoping it would help to calm his temper. "Infuriating, loud mouthed, no good-." He continued to mutter insults under his breath, even after he managed to free his cape from the roof floor and he could stand up again.

He glanced in the direction X had gone and then he looked at the sky, noticing that the sun was very close to setting. The thief had hinted that he was planning on making a robbery tonight and if Robin had any hopes of preventing that he would have to stake out all of Red's favorite haunts. The teen sighed and tucked both his staff and bird-a-rang back into his belt, then pulling out his grappling hook in turn.

It was going to be a long night.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After around nearly five hours of pointless searching, Robin was ready to give up and head home.

The patrol hadn't been a complete waste of time though, he had managed to break up a gang fight, prevent three muggings, stop a man from breaking into an electronic store and alerted the police to a group of teenagers who were acting very obviously drunk.

Despite the romantic holiday, it seemed that the city showed him once again that criminals never really took a break. Or a nights rest, which Robin was beginning to need.

Stifling a yawn, the teen hero turned west, ready to call it a night, when suddenly a flash of a flowing cape caught his eye from the roof across from him, the same roof above a very well-stocked jewelers. For a couple of seconds, Robin seriously considered ignoring the annoying thief and contemplated on just getting home to crawl into bed. He wanted this miserable day to end. But, his conscience then kicked in and he knew that he couldn't just leave Red X to rob the jewelers dry.

So, with a heavy sign, he vaulted across the rooftops and slipped into a stealthy approach, shaking off his fatigue and concentrating on remembering where he saw the other teen last.

From experience, he knew the best way to get into these types of places was either through a high placed window or breaking open the back door which sometimes would double as a fire exit. Robin didn't know which entrance Red would choose, but from past dealings with the thief he could guess that he would choose the window.

After landing quietly on the roof next to the building he immediately spotted the broken glass scattered on the pavement below and Red X slipping _out _of the broken window, carrying a soft brown bag that was weighed down by its contents. Robin narrowed his eyes, it looked like Red had already got what he had wanted. Though, considering he had seen X heading towards the building only a few minutes before, the thief must have stalked out the place during the day and chosen his target to have gotten in and out so quickly...

With a frustrated expression, Robin watched the teen climb up the fire exit and vault across the building, jump off the ledge and then catch a swift landing on the roof next to it. The hero had already started to follow as soon as Red X had started running and it was easy from then on to keep the thief in his sights. As long as X didn't activate the suit's invisibility he would be able to find a way to cut off the other teen's escape, then hopefully disarm and arrest him. Then maybe the awful day could come to an end.

Robin followed for around twenty minutes before he noticed X starting to slow and with a grin, he moved into a higher position which would allow him to jump at the thief without being detected before it was too late. Finally, this day might end with a good note, if he could just...

He scowled, cursed and then abandoned his perfect ambush to follow the thief again. Red X had taken an unexpected turning which, Robin knew, only led to a rooftop with one entrance and exit. Though, Robin briefly recalled it had a nice view of the harbor. Yet, more suspiciously, was why Red had decided to head there. The teen paused in his pursuit. What if it was a trap? Did Red X know he was being followed?

The hero shook his head and steeled his nerve, it wasn't as if this was _Slade_, it was Red X. He would be careful, obviously, but he wasn't going to feel threatened by some annoying troublemaker who happened to have the skills to break into the tower and steal his suit. All right, so he would he would be more than careful, he wouldn't put it past the thief to come up with something clever.

How many times had Catwoman lured Batman into a trap? Though, to be fair, those traps normally led to her trying to have her wicked way with the Bat and Bruce, with his inner playboy, let Catwoman have her fun.

As Robin silently turned the corner and jumped onto the roof, he joked to himself that he didn't have to worry about Red doing _that_. He looked up, ready to confront Red X as he knew the teen had no escape route, and froze, his mouth falling open in shock.

There, in the middle of the rooftop, over looking the view of the harbour and the sea glittering in the moonlight, was Red X, standing next to a table which had candles, two dinners and two glasses filled with, what looked like, wine. The thief himself was holding one of the two chairs in offering, presumably expecting Robin to come and sit. Robin himself was still completely speechless at the scene.

"I know what you're thinking." Red started, and Robin immediately noticed he had turned the voice synthesizer off. His voice seemed so full of rich emotion, compared to the monotone disguise the suit allowed. "What is a guy like me doing such a romantic gesture?" He swept his arm over the table. "Well, it is Valentines day and I am capable of doing something nice." He looked Robin up and down, and Robin had to suppress a shiver. "If it benefits me of course."

Robin was silent for a few moments, then. "Have you been talking to Catwoman?"

Red paused for a moment in apparent shock then snorted and chuckled. "No. Besides, what has Catwoman got to do with us?" He looked at his set-up and then back to Robin. "Did she take you out on a date then?"

"No!" Robin immediately denied, shaking his head and retreating a step. The situation was starting to catch up to him now that his shock had worn off. "Also, there is no _us_! Get that through your thick head!"

Red had the audacity to look hurt.

"And another thing, what the heck is _THIS!" _The hero pointed to the table dramatically. "Do you actually think that I would sit down and have dinner with you?! Like a... like a..."

"Date?" Red supplied helpfully.

Robin gave a rather decent Batglare at the other teen. "Yes," he hissed. "Like a date."

"Aaaw, cheer up chuckles!" Red exclaimed. "C'mon, it's not like you get asked out on a date by such a hot guy every day, and you get a free meal with it too. Don't forget you're a free man now, enjoy the benefits."

Robin just stared. "I've been single for approximately 8 hours now and you think this is appropriate?"

"It's not like you two were in love or anything." Red immediately continued quickly after Robin growled his distaste at Red's opinion. "Don't be such a sour puss, I _know_ that you think I'm hot, I've seen you stare at my ass enough times to know that. And don't deny it!" He added after Robin opened his mouth to defend himself and Red was graced with Robin's cheeks turning red. "And, I know that you know what_ I _think about you. You've seen me stare at _your_ ass too many times for you to not to notice."

The hero couldn't deny it, but... "Listen, _thief_ -"

"Red X."

"What?"

"Or just Red, for short."

Robin growled in frustration. "It doesn't matter what I call you because you are still a thief and I don't date criminals! Now give me what you stole from that jewelers!"

"Er. No." Red then quickly retreated behind the table after Robin started to advance on him. "Okay, okay! I'll make a deal with you then, kid."

Robin paused. "What sort of deal?"

"The kind where you sit and eat dinner with me, share a few nauseatingly sweet conversations with a glass of wine, finish the night with a bang and _then_ I'll give you back what I stole to finish the night, or begin the morning, depending how long that big finale lasts."

It took Robin approximately 3 seconds to come up with his answer. "No."

Red X actually didn't seem surprised with that reply, so he came up with a new tactic. "What do you have to loose kid? You're single, it's Valentines day, it seems that you really need to relax and you get the goods without a fight. How do you know I won't just turn invisible now and sell the jewelery I stole on the black market?"

There was a few moments of silence, where Robin actually considered the proposal. Today had been rather cruel to him and Red seemed honest enough... "How do I know you haven't drugged the food?"

The thief did seem rather hurt that time. "Jesus kid, who do you think I am? Some master mind criminal or a guy that would stoop that low to date rape?"

He did have a point and Red had saved his life before...

"It's just a dinner and one harmless glass of red wine-"

"I'm under aged."

"So? How old are you? Sixteen?"

"Seventeen," Robin grumbled.

"Well, in France you would be legal. Just imagine we're in Paris, sitting by a river, or something."

The hero snorted. "You're such a charmer."

"So, how about it?"

Robin looked at Red, who had gone back to offering the chair to him, then switched his gaze to the table and the candles that flickered with firelight. The situation just seemed so surreal, like at any moment Red would shout 'got cha'' and then throw a sticky 'x' at him. But it never happened and the idea of a good cooked meal was so very tempting, even if he had to push aside his morals. "All right."

The answer seemed to lift Red's mood considerably and he waited until Robin had sat down before sliding into his own. "I knew you would agree kid."

Robin, meanwhile, was thinking about how impulsive he was being. It was like a rush, doing this when he knew he shouldn't. It was a different feeling from when he had to steal for Slade, he hadn't liked doing that, but this, just sharing a simple dinner with a thief, brought forth more churning emotions and more excitement than those missions had ever given him. He then noted Red's comment. "Oh yeah, how?"

The other teen didn't answer at first, just leant over and lifted the lids off of his and Robin's plates, revealing fresh vegetables and a rump steak. The smell wafted up and Robin almost drooled with delight. "'Cus, like me, you like the unknown and get a kick from doing stuff like this. When was the last time you took a break from being the perfect little hero?" It was surprising at how serious he was being. "From acting like a perfect leader and when was the last time you allowed yourself to be selfish?"

Honestly, Robin couldn't remember.

Red lifted the bottom half of his mask up, stabbed a fork through a carrot and plopped it into his mouth, Robin's silence was all the answer he needed. He also ignored the younger teen's gape at him revealing just a portion of his face and motioned to his food. "Go on, eat. I paid good money for this."

Hesitantly Robin did as he was told and repressed a groan at finally being able to have something to eat. "Didn't cook this yourself then?" He teased, finally letting his defenses drop, just a bit.

"Nah. If I did, it would have been cold by now anyway. So instead I asked the delivery guys to put it up here a few minutes before we arrived."

"They do that? I would think that climbing up onto rooftops wouldn't be something that delivery men would willingly do."

Red grinned. "I gave them a bit of extra cash to make it worth their while."

Robin raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else, he was still a little weirded out by the fact that he was on a date with Red X. Him, Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans, sitting down and eating dinner with a known criminal.

Well, it was Valentines day. So he could forgive himself.

About halfway through the meal X picked up his glass of wine and took a sip, smirking over his glass as he noticed Robin looking a little apprehensive about the fact. "One glass won't kill you boy wonder." He took another sip himself to prove the point. "Since I know you haven't had drink often, if at all before, I've chosen a deliberately sweet wine. Normally wine would be too bitter for your taste."

The hero swallowed the piece of steak in his mouth and then with false bravado, lifted the glass to his lips. The liquid trickled past his lips and settled onto his tongue. Immediately he noticed the taste of _alcohol_ before anything else. It burnt his throat slightly and he repressed a cough. He deliberately didn't look at X as his face grimaced, then he took another sip, this time he noticed how smooth the wine felt and it went down easier. "I still prefer soda."

Red laughed, then in a surprising move, tipped his glass onto the floor, the wine splashing out and leaving a dark stain on the cement. "I hate the stuff too. But the delivery men threw the bottle in for free, I guess we could save the rest of the bottle for later." He shrugged and watched with glee as Robin mimicked him and the other glass became empty. "Wine is supposed to get better after ageing, or something like that."

The hero nodded, remembering a conversation at one of Bruce's parties. The man had been a wine dealer and he had been complimenting the catering's selection of wine. "Tastes years old, this one does Bruce. Must've cost you a pretty penny to get this many bottles." Bruce had then just laughed and said that there couldn't be a party without a good wine. Though, when Dick had asked if he could have a sip the answer had been a firm no.

Red leant forward and brushed his fingers softly over Robin's cheek. "Though, the real reason I kept the wine is because I know how fast you could get drunk on it."

Robin scowled and brushed the other teen's hand away. "Not going to happen."

"No... because I know I don't need to get you drunk for you to accept this." And then he kissed him.

Surprised, Robin let the kiss happen for a few moments, but when Red's warm lips started to move eagerly against his, it snapped him back into awareness and he pushed him away. "Red X. What?"

They both were as red as the other, though perhaps for different reasons. "Come on kid. Aren't you curious?"

Robin shook his head and stood up, he stepped away from the table and touched his lips. The half eaten dinner was forgotten and the hero felt extremely unsettled. This was wrong, wasn't it?

"Forget about anything else." The thief continued and he stood up and stalked towards Robin. "Let go. Have some fun. I told you we would finish with a big finale."

Robin shook his head and stepped back, he was way out of his depth. The only human interaction like his he had, had been with Starfire.

The older teen kept advancing and Robin kept stepping back until eventually, inevitably, his back hit the brick wall which contained the door to the stairs. "Red..." Robin began. "Wait..."

But waiting was not on the thief's list of top priorities, in fact it seemed that the teen was very determined to get the hero to stop talking and he knew the best way how. Instead of being gentle like he had at the table, he was true to his nature and slammed Robin against the wall, gripping his arms in a vice grip and pressing his lips firmly against the heroes. Robin gasped at the intensity and Red took the advantage and slipped his tongue in, coaxing it's partner to partake in the dance.

Robin's mind was reeling. This, this was nothing like Starfire. She was strong, but she never used her strength, in fact, she preferred it if Robin took charge, if he was the one who initiated and took control of the kiss. It was never like this. Not hard, rough, but hot and wet at the same time. Her arms were not draped around him and there was no comfortable pressure of her soft breasts against his chest. Instead, the hard planes of X was pressed against him, his presence completely enveloping him in his grip and they were both heaving, their breaths coming short and heavy. It had never been like this with Star.

Red became bolder, he broke the kiss and kissed his way along Robin's jaw and down to his throat, which Robin then bared in an arch with a groan. All the hero could do was hold on as the thief's skilled hands searched the planes of his partner's body, slipping over his chest, lightly pressing the skin above his crotch and then traveling behind him to cup his buttocks and give them a squeeze.

An all too familiar pleasure snaked its way up through Robin's system and he could feel himself hardening through the waves of different sensations. He had begun to return the touches that Red had been giving him, becoming bolder and bolder with each stroke of his hand. Then, he jumped in surprise as a hand slipped up under his top and stroked up his stomach and chest, coming to rest on his pectoral and tweak a nipple. Robin groaned again.

"Heh," Red panted. "Like that do you?" And he kissed him again.

As the pleasure mounted and grew, Robin unwillingly recalled the other night, when he and Starfire finally decided they were ready. He remembered the exhilaration and the pure lust that seemed to cloud his senses as he made love to her... then, suddenly, Robin realized that he couldn't do this. It was too soon, it felt like betrayal. "Red, wait- stop." He pushed the other boy away who groaned in disappointment. "I can't."

"Why?" Red almost, almost whined.

"It's too soon, I just can't."

The older teen huffed and rested his forehead against the other's, his chest still heaving. "Kid, sex is sex. With the alien chick or not."

Robin paused, not knowing how Red X had guessed that he and Starfire had gone that far, but maybe it was just an assumption. He and Star had been going out for nearly a year. "Not with her it wasn't. I'm sorry X but no." His voice became more firm as his breathing evened out and he gently, almost regretfully, pushed him away. "No X."

The older teen stepped away and the retreated a few steps, calming himself and trying not to look at the sight of a very disheveled Robin leaning against the wall. He would be too tempted to jump him again.

After a minute or so, when the hero could finally trust himself to speak, he addressed Red. "It was, well, kinda nice of you I guess to set this up. Even if we didn't get to finish the dinner in the end," he added, dryly.

The thief grinned and pushed his mask back into place and pressed a button on his belt, so when he spoke again the monotone voice was back. "No problem kid, we actually got further than I expected, I was waiting for old sour puss to return and smack me a good one for being so bold."

Robin stepped away from the wall and composed himself, making sure his shirt was tucked in properly. "I guess you must have drugged the food after all."

"Hey, look, a joke. I'm proud of you kid." The thief then stepped away to the edge of the roof, right where the only exit, apart from the stairs, was. He reached for the pouch on the side of his belt. "A deals a deal kid." He chucked the pouch over to Robin who caught it carefully. "I'm sure the shop would like that back." And then, he was gone.

The hero was silent for a few moments, just staring at the place where Red X had disappeared and he wondered if everything had really happened. Yet, when he looked over, the table was still there and the candles still burned brightly. His cautiousness overtook him and Robin stepped over to blow out the candles. The roof immediately darkened and it was only due to the clear night sky that allowed him to see anything at all. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, he wondered if anything would be normal again after this.

Suddenly remembering the pouch in his hands, he opened it to see what had caught the thief's attention enough to steal it. He grabbed a hold of a gold chain and lifted all of the necklace out.

At the end of it, hung a small golden bird.

* * *

_So, the end. _

_A possibility for the future for those two._

_And who knew Red X could be so romantic, huh?_

_Reviews are also greatly appreaciated, even those which point out a grammer or spelling mistake. Thanks guys!  
_


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